Symptoms and Sickness
by Silindro
Summary: Oneshot. It's flu season and the mansion's occupants are wary of the symptoms that Kitty seems to be showing. With Rogue being Kitty's roommate, all of the blame for contagion is laid upon her over an argumentative evening meal.


Symptoms and Sickness

"Kitty's sick," Rogue announced as she entered the dining room.

All heads looked up with equally dreading looks upon their faces. Kitty was always the first to get sick during flu season, regardless of the precautions taken to ensure that she would stay healthy.

"How bad is it?" Logan asked as he reached for the pitcher of water.

"Just a lot of moanin' and groanin' right now, but I'm sure the actual symptoms are gonna kick in soon."

Rogue sat down next to Kurt and frowned as he scooted his chair a few inches the other direction. He gave her a half smile as to apologize, but the damage had already been done.

"Does it look like _I've_ got the flu?" she asked angrily.

"No, but you've been in close contact with Kitty," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Just what I need, more reasons for people to stay away from me," she said heatedly.

"Whoa, Rogue, calm down," Scott said. "Kurt just doesn't want to take chances on getting sick."

"I'm not sick!"

"You could be," Kurt stated. "Who knows what germs you're carrying now that you've been in the same room as her."

"I was in there for less than a minute," she said irritably. "Hardly enough time to instantly catch what everyone in this mansion's gonna get anyway."

"You don't know that we'll all get sick," Kurt replied. "For all we know it could be an isolated situation this year."

"The same thing happens every year!"

"Maybe not this year."

"Elf!" Logan barked. "Leave it alone, would ya?"

"But what if Rogue _is_ sick? She could give everyone sitting around this table the flu," Evan remarked. "And besides, she looks paler than usual."

Rogue twitched.

"No she doesn't," Kurt said as he observed his sister. "She looks a _lot_ paler than usual."

Rogue twitched again.

"Maybe it's just the way the light's reflecting off of her skin," Jean commented thoughtfully from the end of the table. Scott nodded in silent agreement.

"Would y'all just stop worryin' about it? I'm not sick, and I never _get_ sick during flu season."

"But you could still be carrying the germs," Evan added.

"How about I come over there and you can see for y'self," she threatened, rising a few inches out of her chair.

"Whoa, calm down, girl," Evan said, holding his hands up in defense. "No reason to get upset. I'm just trying to look out for the rest of us."

"Since when d'you have everyone's best interests on your mind?" Rogue asked.

"Now Rogue," Scott warned, "we should all be grateful that Evan is starting to think about everyone else, not just himself."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean??" Evan asked angrily.

"Nothing, just that you're starting to think like part of the team."

"And we wouldn't want the team to catch the flu," Evan said with a nod.

"Right," Kurt agreed.

"Look, y'all, if ya don't lay off, I'm gonna-"

"Give us the flu?" Kurt offered.

"ARGH!"

"Enough!" Logan yelled. "We've been through this already. Everyone just eat in peace."

For a while the room was devoid of speech and the only sounds were that of silverware clanking noisily against plates. Rogue was happy for one moment's peace from the accusations that had been thrown at her.

**_ACHOO_**

Everyone heard the loud resounding sneeze that came from the ceiling above, and everyone groaned as Kitty Pryde fell through the ceiling, through the dinner table, and through the floor.

Several seconds later she re-emerged through the area near the doorway. She half-shrugged in defeat as the dining room's occupants all stared at her in disbelief.

"Not my fault," she said in exhaustion as she sneezed again, phasing through the wall on the way back to her room.

There were several moments of silence before Kurt slammed his fist down on the table.

"_Verdammt_!"

Rogue continued to finish dinner with a very smug grin on her face.

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a/n: Wow, I started this one way back in like February, and I'm just now getting around to finishing and posting it. Crazy stuff. Now if I can just find the motivation to finish the other bajillion stories I have started… wink wink

It's a fanfiction sin to read without reviewing.


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